


Shark Week Delight

by ThisShipHasSailed



Category: The Shape of Water (2017)
Genre: Amazon, Angst, Confessions, Fluff, Fluffy, Love Confessions, Mild Gore, Near Drowning, Other, Pre-Movie, Safe For Work, Tribe - Freeform, angsty, anguish, bottled up feelings, sfw, shark attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 16:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11695209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisShipHasSailed/pseuds/ThisShipHasSailed
Summary: Elisa and the manfish have been out of captivity for months. But not everything in the Amazon can be perfect.Inspired by Shark Week!*Pre-Movie*





	Shark Week Delight

**Author's Note:**

> -All sentences signed by Elisa and the fishman are in quotes: ".".   
> -Yes, there are bull sharks in the Amazon.

On a hot, summer day in the Amazon,  Elisa relaxed on the beach and attempted to get a tan. The sun baked her skin, and she was starting to feel the heat of the blaring light. It was easy to stay there for hours, Elisa determined. But the discomfort of the hot sun was getting a little too much to bare.

Dressed in nothing but her bra and panties, she thought that the tan line may look a tad odd. But even now, in the middle of the Amazon forests, she was still too modest to dress in the nude.

There was also the fact that she spent most of her time with the fish turned man. Elisa wasn’t sure if she was ready for him to see her naked. It was mostly with how self-conscious she was with herself. At least, she didn’t think he has seen her without clothes yet.

Sitting up from the sand, she turned her gaze to the scene around her. The light hit her eyes and she shielded them away with a hand. Looking towards the beach, she watched the rolls of the Amazon river. The current was not fast, by any means. In fact, it moved on with a calm drag.

The wind was gentle against her heated skin. It gave a slight relief compared to the unrelenting glare of the sun. Beyond lies huge forests filled with earth, trees, and species that humanity had yet to discover. She was, at one point, a part of humanity and its destructive tendencies. But now, her time is for making the best of life as it is.

Grabbing the bottle of sunscreen, she snapped it open and plopped a generous amount of the cream into her palm. She rubbed bits of it over her chest and arms then proceeded to her face. She added more to the rest of her body and laid back down onto the sand.

Safe now from the sun, Elisa started to doze off. The heat made her drowsy and the sand felt soft and hot beneath her. Yawning, she stretched out on the ground and let herself fall into a light-hearted nap.

But the sound of water splashing drew her away from her sleep. Struggling to open her eyes, Elisa squinted away from the sun and tilted her head upwards to catch sight of a tall, shadowy form. As her gaze started to focus, she saw the dark shades of scales and recognizable fins on thick arms. A light-toned stomach stood out from the rest of a dark body.

Sitting up fully, she smiled contently as her companion approached. His webbed feet did not seem to like the sand and the flurry he sent up made Elisa laugh. A soft, light-hearted growl vibrated through him as he sat down beside her.

"I do not like this substance." He signed to her. After months of being alone together on the Amazon river, she had taught him extensively of her own language. Obviously, she would never be able to learn his own language from the vibrancies of sound, but he would occasionally chirp, purr, and at times, growl.

Over that time they had grown closer and closer. He would occasionally bring her gifts from the river bed. He spent a lot of time in the river, but during the evenings and nights he would stay with her. During her sleep, he would rest alongside her. But it was rare, as it didn’t take much for his skin to dry out, and that’s what would cause infections.

He was never hostile with her, either. Which she was just fine with, in all honesty. Ever since Elisa had broken him out of the laboratory he was known to have flashbacks from his time in the tank. She was a part of a species that had hurt him many times over. She had the face of his torturers. No matter how much love and guilt and want she felt, he was still plagued with nightmares. Elisa would watch him struggle with himself. He would stare at the scars on his flesh for minutes at a time.

Shaking her head of the thoughts, she focused back on warm, round eyes and open face. A happy smile graced her lips. "Oh, I’m sure it’s just horrible."

He huffed. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he started to sniff the air. An awkward look crossed his face before he looked closer at her. "What is that smell? It’s like chemicals." Elisa frowned for a moment. Chemicals?

She looked around, suddenly uneasy. Was he picking up something that she couldn’t see? More sniffing came from him, but closer to her.

Raising a brow, she watched him open his mouth and take in a breath. He leaned close to her and she couldn’t help how her stomach flipped at the prospect of him so close.

"It’s you. You’re the one that smells." Elisa’s eyes widened to the size of saucers and she blanched. How could she smell? She almost wanted to laugh at how pointedly he said she smelled.

Then it became suddenly obvious. It was her sunscreen that smelled. She started to laugh as she gazed upon his growingly bewildered face. He leaned on his hand, easily looming over her. Elisa’s heart started to pound in her chest. Her companion was so close to her, and how he glistened. His scales, which were quite dark, sparkled like raindrops in a morning sunrise. His eyes were lazy and, feeling amusement, saw his nostrils flaring and then relaxing. But his body was sleek and toned. Muscle could easily be seen upon his form and it triggered something inside herself that she would rather keep suppressed.

Flushing, she forced to look away from him. It’s my sunscreen. She picked up the bottle of the cream and proceeded to show it to him. He leaned away from the bottle nervously. His eyes lowered to the lettering on the orange plastic.

"What’s it for?" He signed, looking cautious. The fishman seemed to be wary of it. It suddenly came to her that he probably connected the scent with certain smells from his captivity. She felt almost guilty as she told him exactly what it as for.

"The sun burns my skin, so this cream helps protect me from the ultra violet lights." But instead of reacting to it in any negative fashion, he merely snorted. Elisa looked down at her arm, seeing how red it was compared to her companion. Well, then again, he held the dark shades of a river bottom while she had the pigmentation of the sand. At least, when she wasn’t sun burned like she was now.

She put the bottle back down before focusing back on the friendly face of the creature. "Enjoy your time out there?" A purr rose in response and Elisa couldn’t help the soft flutter of her heart. His happiness warmed her like the very sun and it filled her with satisfaction to see him healthy and vibrant.

"Yes, but I am going out again. You should join me." Her hazel eyes traced over his shoulders before focusing on the river behind him. It matched his personality so well. There were little pockets in the river where it babbled by on a lazy quest, but then filled into a gnashing river and then into a life of calm and then violence.  
   
But she knew, from experience, that his violence stemmed from the anger and treatment of others. He wasn’t generally a hostile creature and if one knew its place then he would not bring harm to them.

Out there in the water he was a beast of war, but with her he acted like a willy being of play and affection. And with those beautiful, dark eyes filled with lapis and sapphires, how could she say no to playing in the shallows with him?

"All right, but you better make sure I don’t drown." She signed with fluidity with touches to her forehead, motions with her hands and fingers. He followed them easily, and she felt a stab of pride at how well he was picking up her language.

A chirp of satisfaction came from him and he stood up. Lending a hand, she took it and promptly came up with him. A rush came to her head and she had to stop for a moment to regain her balance. Elisa nodded towards him before walking across the hot sand. Admittedly, the water looked wonderful. It sparkled and radiated a chill slickness that she could enjoy instead of this horrid sun.

Stepping into the water, she sighed softly at the feeling. The waves licked at her feet and the sand sank in between her toes. A soft breeze wound itself through her short locks of brown hair and caressed her skin like a long-lost lover. The trees rustled and the water splashed and the birds chirped. A surge of happiness passed through her and she slid into the river.

The humidity of the day slid off her skin and she let out a soft moan at the feeling. Elisa hadn’t even realized how uncomfortable the sun and humid weather she had been sitting through was. Compared to the temperature of the sun and air, the river felt wonderful. With her companion beside her she couldn’t feel happier.

A sound of a splash came from behind her and she turned to look. Ripples slowly waved at her and past by her. By now, the water was lapping at the underside of her breasts and when she looked down the river hid her feet. Although there was a flash of scales beneath the waves and she felt her heart leap up into her throat.

But instead the nightmarish creature from her dreams, the fishy man came up from the depths in a wave of water. Veins of the river flowed off his body and her eyes couldn’t keep from the muscle and tone of his scaled form. In that moment, she wanted something that she knew that she shouldn’t even be thinking about. Elisa wanted nothing more than to sit on the beach with him and talk about their future together. But at the same time, she wanted to run her fingers over his chest and his thick shoulders and can hear that heavy purr when she stroked him after a nightmare, or when he felt satisfaction.

 Several chirps came from him and Elisa couldn’t help the sudden flush when she pulled her eyes away from that tantalizingly wet body. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice and only went to communication and a happy trill.

"It feels good, doesn’t it? I’ve loved the river since I was a nothing but a guppy. I’m happy that I can share this with you." His face looked so hopeful, but there was a nervous twitch to him that caught her attention. Was he worried that she wouldn’t like it? Or could he be worried that she would leave this all behind?

She only smiled warmly and gently touched his shoulder and ran a hand down his arm. She felt the cartilage along his forearm, tough flesh bending just slightly under her fingers. Elisa could feel the appreciative purr through his skin and she only smiled wider.

Elisa pulled back to respond. "It’s beautiful here, little guppy." There wasn’t an emotion to explain how she felt right then. She loved seeing her friend back in his home. She loved seeing how content he was and how he didn’t have to worry about being captured anymore. Their location was kept a secret and for what the United States’ government knows, both Elisa and the experiment were long dead.

His face lit up. Eyes wide and fins fluttering, he took her hand almost eagerly and made a motion about going in deeper. Her heart skipped a beat before she took a breath. She knew that if she had trouble with the currents of the Amazon river, then her companion would rescue her. But all the same, a fear clenched around her. Her eyes strayed past his face to the swirling waters of the river.

He seemed to read her exact thoughts and he drifted closer to her. A webbed hand reached up to cup her cheek and she flushed at the humane touch. His forehead went to touch hers in a reassuring way. Elisa’s breath hitched and she stared up into his eyes. She wondered if he could tell how she felt about him. Her hands rested on his shoulders and she could feel herself starting to lean in.

He pulled away to communicate and she let the air rush out of her. She felt dazed. A dash of disappointment passed through her and she blinked a few times to focus.

"I will make sure you will be okay. I… I promise." There was such an emotion there that she couldn’t help but feel a little choked up. Her hand took his once again. Elisa felt her heart stop when he froze. Those sapphire eyes gazed at her for a moment and she felt all her subconscious insecurities bubble up.

He would never love her. He would reject her. How could one love her when Elisa was just a simple woman with an unfortunate disability? She had no sexual promises and, for fuck’s sake, she was a human and he was from a whole different species! There was no way he would ever chose her when he probably saw his own species every time he went out for the day.

She felt tears start to well up in her eyes. He probably saw her as a guppy; as someone to protect.

Oh, why was she being so dramatic? This was triggered over him possibly not holding her hand. She didn’t even know how he felt about her so how could Elisa judge him on that?

A sudden squeeze to her hand shot her out of her thoughts as well as a soft tug to her arm. Elisa blinked, hoping that her eyes weren’t red with possible tears as her lovable little guppy went into the deeper waters.

As they moved, she felt the sand beneath her feet taper out from under her toes. The river slowly started to pull at her and it was getting more and more difficult to swim in a straight line. Watching the river water rush around them, she was glad that he had the audacity to pull her close to his body. The burn in her legs for fighting against the current was starting to get to her.

Thankfully, from all the lessons he had given her in swimming she could easily keep her head above the water.

She saw that they were heading to a calm of the river and felt a definite feeling of relief. Stopping to catch her breath in the calmer section, she felt a heat of relief when she felt a sand bar beneath her feet. Standing, she felt a rock beneath her feet and she turned towards to talk to her friend.

But the rock felt squishy and, oddly, it started to wiggle. It had the same texture as her fishy companion, and with sudden strength it lurches away from her and sends her beneath the surface. A scream erupted from her before she swallowed a mouthful of water. Kicking herself back up to the surface, she coughed up the water.

Now, totally soaked, she stood up and wiped water from her face. Across from her, the creature was laughing an odd croaking sound. Glowering playfully at the amphibious man, she splashed a wave of water towards him. Laughing more, he turned away as the water hit him before he splashed her back. The water felt so much better than sitting on the sand, and this playful banter between them made her day.

Water splashed her face and she couldn’t stop the laugh that hit her. This sort of activity happened on the regular. Back at her old home she would never be able to do this. But here in the Amazon, away from the general public, she could do virtually whatever she pleased.

They fought like that for the next few minutes before she started to get tired. He started to step towards her every time he sent a wave of water. A wave hit her and then hands landed on her bare waist. She was suddenly lifted up and then dunked. Gasping when she came up, she looked up at him in shock. But he only giggled and his fins wiggled with amusement.

Smirking slyly, she tugged him down into the water. He trilled loudly before hitting the surface. She laughed as he growled lowly before splashing her weakly. Paddling over to him, she sat on the sand before sliding her arms around his mid-section.

The tough resistance of his body and the cool comfort of his arms felt wonderful against her soft form. Eyes sliding closed, she let herself drink him in. Her heart was still up in her throat and her thoughts were running awry.

Minute by minute in his arms was a minute in heaven. It calmed her racing heart down and sent her toxic thoughts away. A hand gently stroked her back while his fingertips lazily dragged up and down her skin.

Her bare stomach was pressed against the scaly flesh of him and it made her mind race with how right it felt. Their bodies almost came together like a puzzle piece. The way his body moved with the current was almost sensual.

He gently pulled away and she had to shake herself out of her daze. Elisa found herself wishing she could stay beside him like that for the rest of the day, just together like this in the river.

But she found, with a growing fluster, that she may get her wish as he started to sign.

"We will be going down the river. There will be certain areas where I want you to hold on to me, but for the most part you will be able to swim by yourself."

She signed her understanding before letting him take the lead. Elisa had no idea where they were heading, but the river seemed calmer than what it was in the middle. They took to the right side, where the beaches were non-existent and the incline to get onto land was high. She took one last look at her little home before focusing back onto the direction at hand.

The river bottom gave out and she was once again floating down the river. It was determined that this was much easier than swimming across into the calm. Most of the time she didn’t need to kick her legs anywhere and just had to focus on keeping herself afloat.

They rolled around a bend. The river seemed to grow wider and the sandy alcove of where they were at disappeared. Now, the sides were muddy and nearly impossible to climb on to. Well, that may be a tad difficult to go up.

A chirp grabbed her attention. Looking forward, she met blue eyes that urged her onwards. Beyond him lay huge jungle trees. To one side, there was a trunk that had collapsed into the river. It let down a shadow down into the water.

But the chirping only increased. Elisa swiveled her head to face him and moved her hands in a "what?"

His fins were flat against his face and his eyes were narrowed into slits. Sharp, dagger-like teeth flashed white in the sun and he growled lowly. Elisa was suddenly taken aback. He had never shown such hostility towards her. Had she done something wrong?

The water was edging to becoming slower and she found it more difficult to stay afloat. Taking a breath to find her balance, she watched as he started to circle her. Fear reared its ugly head. What was he doing?

Had he taken her out here to kill her? To make her his prey? There was no doubt in her mind that he could drag her underneath the surface and never let her back up again.

A shiver ran up her spine as she attempted to swim backwards and away from the creature. But he never really seemed to look at her. His eyes were trained beneath the surface. Then, as he ducked beneath, something clicked.

There must be something in the water making him feel threatened, and it was certainly not Elisa. But what could be down there? She looked down into the river and only found that the muck covered most of her vision. Frustration welled itself inside her. Panic was starting to fit itself in her chest. What was beneath the waves? The river here was calmer. She didn’t suppose anything big could be roaming the currents?

She knew that there were several fish that swam here. Electric eels; bull sharks; huge arapaima that can get as big as a canoe and possibly sharp-toothed piranhas lurked in the Amazon’s depths. The water was licking at her throat and her feet kicked out with a capricious intent. She could only imagine a huge fish watching her limbs and taking an interest. Huge teeth sinking into her flesh and tearing her from limb to limb.

Something brushed up against her calf and she lurched away in a fit of screaming. A flurry of scales passed her and her heart was up in her throat. Oh, god, there was something in these waters! Fear pushed adrenaline through her veins and she found herself swimming down the river. A strong lust for survival was what pushed her on and she felt like she was on fire. But as she swam she felt her limbs start to tire and the sudden burst of energy was getting eaten away by the river’s sharp currents.

In a burst of strength, she jumped upwards from the water. But a sudden pain drove its way up her leg and she was torn from the air. Elisa was pulled roughly into the water. Waves swallowed her whole and she was completely submerged. Teeth as sharp as knives dug into her calf. Agony made her wail and struggle. The muddy river slid into her mouth and attempted to take up her lungs.

Looking to see what had her, she could feel herself freeze in terror at what it was. A huge body made up of grey flesh had her leg clamped down between thousands of teeth. Almond eyes filled with a drive for hunger stared at her. Its snout was thick and tough and filled with ugly scars. Blood seeped out from her leg and was swept up with the current. The tang of her flesh only seemed to drive the creature on. Large fins were angled down towards the bottom and its tail swerved back and forth.

What she was looking at was a bull shark. Terror built its way back into her system. Blood was pooling out from the wound. Memories of a teacher telling her that a shark’s snout was very sensitive to stimuli. With that, she started to wail her fists the shark. Elisa was weak from the pain and it didn't seem like she was making much of an effect. It started to yank its head back and forth with her leg. She was left screaming as agony filled her from top to bottom.

But something dark repeatedly raked hard claws down the shark’s flank and she started to beat at its snout once again. It let go and dashed away in a mad fashion. Breaking her head onto the surface, she attempted to down air. But the only thing that came up was water. Coughs and sputters was all that could be heard in between the rush of the Amazon river.

Oh, how stupid she was for taking a trip in the river with the creature born from the river? The Amazon river was dangerous with even more dangerous creatures. But, where was her companion? Was that him in the water? Had he just saved her? But pain clouded her judgement as she attempted to kick outwards. Tears trailed down her face as arms wrapped around her.

Panic made her lash out. The grasp on her was too tight for her to do any real damage. Elisa howled in pain as the river hit her open wound. Blood made the water around them red. Coughing and sobbing, Elisa let herself get pulled to safety. There weren’t any more attacks to them, thankfully.

Feeling sand beneath her, she felt herself get dragged across the beach. The sun hit her like a dagger and it took all of her to not pass out. Her lids felt heavy and it was getting difficult to think straight. Once she was laid down, she pushed herself up to look at what had happened.

The amount of open muscle and flesh made her wish she hadn’t looked. Elisa wanted to vomit at the sight and she looked up to her fishy companion.

"What we going to do?" She signed, fast and sloppy. He seemed to understand but promptly stood up and disappeared into the trees. She let out a whimper as he left.  
He had left her. And that’s all she remembered before her consciousness left.

 

________________________________

Chatter was what woke her up. There were people surrounding her and she felt mildly confused. Dazed, she attempted to open her eyes but found that darkness was what haunted her. Opening her mouth to speak, she found that her throat was parched and her tongue dry.

A light of fire found her and she groaned before focusing. A woman, dressed in a large shirt and shorts was what came to her first. A language that she did not understand hit her and she frowned.

Weakly raising her hands, Elisa tried to communicate.

"I am mute. I sign." Elisa hoped that she had the message across. Relief coursed through her when the woman smiled with understanding and began to sign back.  
"I know little sign. Who are you?" The woman took a seat beside her nest. Elisa blinked a few times before answering with her full name.

"How did you find me? How long have I been asleep?" She asked, honestly curious. The pain in her calf was stinging, but was nowhere near how horrible it had been before. She sat up slowly to take a look, but found that her leg was bandaged. Elisa looked questioningly at the woman.

"A river god came to us and told us a woman in trouble. We come find you." The woman answered. She frowned at the word god, but then remembered that the people in the Amazon often thought of her friend as a deity. A breath of relief rushed through her. Hope warmed her very being at the thought of seeing her companion once again.

"You have been sleeping for day." The woman added. Elisa groaned, running a hand through her hair. But she nearly screamed when she saw dried blood on her palm.

"It is from injury. Do not be frightened." The woman, who she was guessing was a healer, signed to her slowly. Elisa could feel panic bubbling up in her throat but she quickly swallowed it down.

"Is he here?" The woman shook her head at her question and she felt heavy disappointment. Oh, how Elisa wanted to see him. A yearning unfolded in her and the woman seemed to notice.

"I am sure he will visit. But he is fear to come here." The unknown woman signed, and pain reflected in her heart. Elisa hoped that these people had treated her savior with respect. But before she saw him, she needed to know who these people were.

The next few months consisted of healing her injury, speaking with the natives and sleeping. The woman, who she had found was the tribe’s healer, had told her all about her tribe. The healer had revealed her name as Takiita. They were a river folk who had been beside the Amazon river for decades. They had known about the river monster and had often given him fish from their daily catches to satisfy the gods.

Elisa had only smiled slightly in amusement. 

She had gotten to experience so many new things. The children here were shy at first. They hadn’t known how to treat an outsider, but after a few days they grown warm towards her.

The food was easy to eat. Elisa hadn’t known how she would take to it, but the fish and herbs and spices of their foods was delicious. The people were so welcoming and she truly appreciated everything they were doing for her.

She learned about their traditions and what it truly meant to be a part of a community. She wasn’t treated like an idiot here. She was treated with the utmost respect, and the fact that the people here didn’t look at her disability as something to judge her worth was so different but so nice.

When she could maneuver herself around with more skill she was given certain responsibilities. Elisa would occasionally go out and help collect herbs and berries. During the last few weeks of her stay they would let her out to fish. But never with nets; they said she wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

But she was starting to miss her little home beside the river. She missed her bed and she missed the cupboards and she missed the little wooden table with the additional two chairs. Elisa missed her sketchbook and the solace of being alone.

Most of all, she missed her fishy companion. She hadn’t seen his scaly hide for months. Her heart ached with worry for him. Was he okay? Had he been hurt? The imagination was what truly got to her. His body washed up on some shore with gorge marks all over his body. She had spent nights awake envisioning him like that.  
That was not the only thoughts that had plagued her mind, though. She dreamed of being wrapped up in his arms, or laughing or playing with him in the river.

But sharks seemed to plague her mind. Sometimes she was back at the lab with a monstrous man with the head of a shark cornering her and devouring her. People would walk by and watch as she screamed and struggled. Or she would be humiliated in front of them all.

Other times she was at her little home in the trees. She would be playing in the river before being roughly tugged beneath the waters and never let back up again.  
There were the good dreams and the bad dreams. It wasn’t like she could control them.

On the last day of the week, Elisa had waved farewell to the tribe. There had been many hugs, and a few tears shed. She was told that she was welcome to visit any time.  
Elisa hobbled back to her river home. The walk there was a rough path through the jungle. She walked past multiple trees and over a few logs. It was difficult when the path slopped downwards, especially when there were rocks. But she managed the way. She spotted the familiar logs of a home in the near-distance and giddiness overwhelmed her.

The house itself was just a few yards inside the forest. It wasn’t made beautifully, but the hard labor she had went through to hold it up was what made it feel like home. The trees were still and the wind was calm. The sun was slowly setting and she watched as it sparkled down onto the river.

Her land was beautiful, but there was a definite fear that settled into her chest at the thought of going back into the water. The shark attack was still a raw experience. It had hurt her, and she would probably never walk normally again.

The tribe had crafted a walking stick from a piece of drift wood. It had hardened and one of the tribe’s handymen had carved it to perfection. The gift was truly touching and she could lean on it without it breaking.

They had also sent her home with a few pounds of fish. They had offered to send someone with her to help with the load, but Elisa had politely refused. She wanted the trip home to be by herself.

Once she was finished unpacking the fish into an ice-filled container, she went back outside to sit on the sand. It easily gave way beneath her toes. The sun was still setting and radiated a warmth that made her smile. The river was still turning. She wondered what else was out in the depths and shivered.

Using the help of her walking stick, she carefully sat down into the sand. There was a slight pain in her left calf, but she had grown used to the ache by now. Exhaling deeply, she closed her eyes for a moment. There wasn’t a sound around her besides the rushing of the river. It was a delightful purr and it only made her drowsy.  
A smile slid onto her face. The sun hit her with its lasting rays before falling beneath the tree tops. Then, all there was was the quiet of the river.

Ten minutes rolled by and there was still no sign of her companion. Inside the house there had been a few signs of life, as if someone had been inside. But she hadn’t seen anything except her bed, the bucket for midnight bathroom visits and the table with two chairs.

Hours ticked by and Elisa felt the hope in her chest starting to disappear. If he hadn’t visited her for the last few months, why he would visit her now?

But when she was about to give up for the night and go to bed, a sudden splash hit her ears. Hope and excitement bubbled up into her chest and she managed to get up without falling. She looked out across the river, trying to spot any movements from the manfish.

There was nothing. The waters gurgled and bubbled and rolled on by. But there was no sign of him. She supposed that a fish had jumped from the water. Emotion rushed through her. She had been waiting for so long and he wasn’t there. The love that she had developed for him was starting to break, her heart churning with pain. Tears started to well up in her eyes and her vision became blurry.

Oh, how could this happen to her? What had she done? He had probably found someone else to love instead of a human woman. Anger poured into her heart. How could she have been so stupid? He had only viewed her as a close friend, and nothing else. Nobody could feel love for someone like her. Her schoolmates had said so. The people she would work with or the people she would pass on the streets had said so.

She was a mistake and a dumb mute woman.

A sob wracked her body and she sat down. Pain laced her actions and it only made her cry harder. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Elisa was stupid and he had left her. Her body trembled and out of a fit of anger she threw the walking stick far into the river. She watched it go and realized, with disdain, that that had been a gift someone had labored on.

Raw emotion tumbled through her and she began to sob harder. Snot slid from her nose and tears ran down her cheeks. Laying down on the sand, she cupped her face and cried into her hands.

Turning over, she hunched into herself. She was stupid and useless. What use was there for her when she ruined her whole life over someone who had left her?  
She had only started to relax when another wave of anguish hit her. Cries and sobs filled the air. Elisa was done at that moment and the only thing she wanted to do was lay there until she was empty.

It took her a while to calm down. But in that moment, she didn’t care. She lay on the beach, her cheeks stained with salty tears and snot crusted on her face. Her eyes were puffy and red while her arms were red from scratches.

Gentle hands suddenly touched her and she felt shock hit her like a freight train. Looking over, she expected someone from the tribe, but it ended up being the scaled face of the one she had been crying about.

Her world stilled for a moment. Here he was with his fins tucked down and his eyes looking guilty. He was kneeling beside her on the sand with the walking stick in his webbed hands.

Slowly sitting up, she looked at him. Hiccups occasionally wracked her body and when she opened her mouth more tears started to fall.

He set the stick on the sand and pulled her against him. His hand stroked through her hair. Even if it made a bit of her locks damp, the touch calmed her down. His other hand was wrapped firmly around her form.

Elisa let him sit down. His body was a tad wet, but she didn’t care as he coaxed her into his lap.

Leaning with her back against his chest, she grasped onto his hands. She traced the webbing there, and set her head back into his pectoral in defeat. Tears welled up in her eyes but she swallowed back her grief. His thumb brushed over the back of her hand before he pulled away. She made a soft sound of difference but he started to move to communicate.

"I’m sorry I did not visit you. These people…" He didn’t seem to have the words but she couldn’t stop herself from throwing everything onto the table. She just wanted him to know and she was tired of keeping everything to herself.

"I missed you so much. I worried for you. I was scared that you had gotten attacked by the shark. I… I thought you had left me. I was scared that you had gotten sick of me. You never visited once while I was hurt. Where were you?" She felt pain pierce her heart. She wanted him to know everything, but yet she was afraid of his rejection. She was afraid of making things awkward between them.

Her hands shook as she felt tears well up in her eyes once again. "I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore. And… And I just didn’t know how to respond to that. I need you. But I was foolish and I was stupid and I’m so unworthy of you and I know you could never love someone like me. I’m sorry, I’m such a-"

Large webbed hands took hers to stop her train of thought. She wanted to scream. Elisa wanted to scream and cry until the pain was gone. Oh, how stupid was she? He would never love her, and Elisa had just revealed her feelings to him. Grief and fear and anger and so many emotions that she didn’t understand welled up within her.  
But his body seemed to engulf her. His legs closed around hers so that she was snug in his embrace. She felt so warm and safe in his arms that it made remorse fill her. She shouldn’t have said anything. 

His arms engulfed her and he rested his chin upon the top of her head. They remained like that. Her clothes were a tad slimy but the feeling of being in his arms seemed to relax her just a bit. After a minute, he released her. But before she could sign to apologize he started before her.

"I’m sorry I did not visit you. The people there… I’m frightened of them. I’m sorry." He sighed deeply, resting his cheek against her hair. She felt him tighten his grip on her and she rubbed his forearm, her fingers tracing the fins along the bone.

"You are not stupid, nor foolish. You believed in me when I had given up hope. I love you for the way you are. I decide who is worthy of my affections, and you are. I missed you beyond words. I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to touch you. I wanted to see that you were okay. I am the one who was foolish for being too frightened to say anything. I could never get sick of you, nor do I want anyone else’s affections."

The feelings that rushed through Elisa were so strong that she was left bewildered. She was beyond words or an explanation of what she was feeling. There was excitement bubbling as well as an extreme heat that was exploding in her chest. Her stomach was in a jumble and her heart was beating rapidly.

In all honesty, she felt like she was ready to pass out.

"I… I don’t know what to say." A low rumble came from him and she felt her heart jump up into her throat. His hands settled on her shoulders with a gentle squeeze. Guiding her to lay across his lap so that her back rested in the crest of his arm while her legs were thrown over his.

"Then don’t speak." He answered. And at that moment, all she wanted to do was to rest in his arms and never let go. She let her hands rest in her lap and her head rested once again on his chest. They sat like that for hours until the sun was well beneath the Earth and the moon was high in the sky. They talked about little things. There was laughter, but there was also serious faces and love-struck expressions.

When both of them were starting to yawn, Elisa had to persuade him to go back into the water and hydrate. Standing with her cane, Elisa watched him swim about in the river for about a minute before he returned to her. He moved like a graceful cat, although by the time he arrived in front of her he was trying to kick the sand from his webbed feet.

"I still do not like this sand." He grumbled and she couldn’t help but laugh. Taking a step towards him, he suddenly became quiet with his hands by his chest. Running her hands up his biceps to rest on his shoulders, she leaned up to him. But instead of touching her lips with his, she gave him that same affectionate tap between their foreheads. He chirped before rubbing his cheek against hers.

Before releasing him, though, she pressed a kiss against his cheek. His flesh felt chilled and wet, but it was familiar. She moved gentle kisses along his skin to his fins. They trembled gently under her lips.

Stepping away, he let out a soft whimper. His eyes held that of passion and Elisa smiled knowingly.

"I love you." She signed with a slow, sensual way before laying back down onto the sand. She patted the section beside her and he instantly followed. They crept towards each other before falling each other’s arms.

Her hands moved against the large fin that ran down his spine. She stroked it down his back so that he could lie down comfortably. When they were both comfortably laid on the sand, he held her tighter against him.

Resting her head against his chest, she could hear the beginning of a heavy purr. It rumbled through his chest like a gentle cat. His hands slid beneath her shirt to touch her bare back. Elisa didn’t move to fight him. She needed to feel that comforting touch.

Cold hands slid up and down her spine, making her relax. The grief and anger from before had vanished. The rumbling of his purr turned loud and thick as she rested against him.

One of her hands gently touched his stomach. She heard him take a sharp intake of air as her fingertips ran up his side. She then proceeded to rest them on the sand.  
The love she had felt for him came back in full force. There was something definitely between them.

That night she slept peacefully with her new mate. A heavy warmth brewed in her chest and the love that she had nurtured for so long only strengthened. With only the moon above them, they slept peacefully beside each other.

In the morning, limbs were tangled and bodies pressed together like a sandwich. Slowly opening her eyes, Elisa came to the sight of a beautifully sculpted face. He was still fast asleep, cuddled up close to her. His arms were fastened tightly around her and a leg was draped over one of hers.

Elisa could only smile in amusement before gently shaking him awake. If he were on the land for too long he’d dry right up.

Sleepy eyes met hers and the biggest smile she had ever seen woke across his face. She drew her hands up to gently rest on his chest. He was just about as dry as she was. The heavy purr that had sent her to sleep last night came back in good fashion. Elisa watched as his fins stretched and a low grumble came from him.

Touching his forehead to hers, she felt her cheeks redden like beets.

Untangling his body from hers, he stretched out his limbs. Crouching, he leaned over her before signing.  
"I will be right back."

Her heart skipped a beat before she looked towards the river. He hadn’t visited her in months and he was already leaving?

Was he just going into the river to soak up some water? Or was he going to hunt?

But she dismissed those thoughts almost immediately. She didn’t need those toxic thoughts. She could trust him. After all, they had spent several months away from each other and he had come back. Taking a breath to send the thoughts away, she smiled and signed.

"Okay."  


End file.
